BJP hopes ‘Digital Delhi’ will give it a cutting edge

New Delhi: ‘Digital Delhi’ will be the focus of BJP’s manifesto for the municipal polls. The manifesto committee is studying the work done by various BJP-ruled corporations in the country to draw up a list of plans and programmes, which can be implemented in Delhi as well.

“The focus is on providing transparent and accountable governance to people. Going digital is an important step in this direction,” said Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, West Delhi MP, who is part of the manifesto committee.

Launching party’s election campaign on Friday, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that the party aims to make Delhi “digital by default”. “We want to provide all a majority of services online. People shouldn’t have to wait in queues for basic services,” Tiwari maintained.

Like 2012, sources say, BJP is preparing one manifesto for all three civic bodies. Some in the party feel there should be corporation-specific manifestos though. “A majority of issues are the same across civic bodies. However, certain corporation-specific aspects will also be mentioned,” said Verma.

Impressed by the work done by the municipalities in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and other BJP-ruled corporations, senior functionaries are drawing up a list of things, which the party can emulate here to provide accountable and transparent governance to people.

BJP had widely publicised its e-governance initiative during its election campaign in 2012. The erstwhile MCD had made almost 97 services and functions online. It became the first corporation in India with an online RTI service. However, after wining the civic polls, the party couldn’t sustain it due to the trifurcation and financial crisis. Online filing of RTI became the first service to be taken offline.